Perth Amboy High School - Reflections / Periscope Yearbook (Perth Amboy, NJ)

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wishing that it might have offered to him a greater problem to solve. Ile speaks to an assistant. Ah! a voice that is familiar, one that had explained many diflicult geometric propositions and mathematical theorems, a mind famed for its analytical precision. lt belonged to none other than Fraser, the great reservoir and aqueduct builder. An expensive racer reaches the ledge upon which l hraser is standing. It halts and out climbs a familiar hgure, followed by another equally well known to us. Yes-they are-No! Yes! Ray Carlbon and Whitey XNiderstrom. They shake Doug's hand until he winces. On Ray's coat we see a badge. The mist draws it closer, and like a Hash-we see the insignia of the chief forester of the L. S. VViderstrom's countenance is also given a close-up, it being o'erspread witlx prosperity, for he is, dear Seniors, the greatest bean raiser in the L'. S., having been taught agriculture at Rutgers. VVe chat a while, then abruptly we tind then: about to start out. Fraser's valet is seen to protest about the plan, but Eureka! it is llender, the one who always tried to run things as they do in Plainfield. Next they are in the Opera House. Of course, Ethel llartha is sitting in the front row making eyes at the actors. Carmen is in full swing, Carmen herself singing music as only a nightingale can. Fraser says, Who is it ? He looks hard and then yells, Goldbe1'ger! and then faints. Widerstrom calls the usher. My goodness! Ford, and then Carlbon faints, Whitey runs to the box office, calls the director. Zowie! And then he faints, for it was no wonder. It was Christy Christensen. ' A hurry call is sent to the Killemquicker Hospital and an ambulance is dis- patched. manned by Harry Kaplowitz, who, by the way, is the owner of an auto- mobile business. He always had an idea he could run something when he was in school. The three unconscious beings are put in and rushed to the institution They arrive. Two physicians and several attendants rush out-My, who are they but Doctors Hatfner and Ruderman. They order the unconscious ones to be taken to the operating room. They are made ready for the master surgeon, who comes in clad in his ether mask, apron, etc. He removes the mask. Gosh! lt is Fishkotf, He gives up the cases as hopeless and leaves the room. Soon two women enter. Upon closer view, they are found to be none other than Lillian lljork and Dr. Cade. The latter looks at W'iderstrom and Carlbon, who jump up with a start. Lillian looks hard at Fraser. No, he won't waken, unsentimental chap that he is. Then Lillie seizes the tire bucket and upon receiving the contents Phraser comes to his senses with a standing high jump. I Suddenly there is a groan from the vicinity of the vapor, and Perth Amboy comes into view, then a room in which sit students pursuing geometry. The teacher speaks, the voice is familiar, strangely so. He turns full upon us-jake Schenkman. Yes, another of those persons who devote themselves to humanity and the education of young America and then work nights to keep from starving. He picks up a book, yes, a geometry, and upon closer view we see it was written by one we all know, Bob Pyster. It is entitled New and Shorter Ways to VVork Geometry Propositionsf' Then thehaze seems to take on a new aspect. XVe are concealed in a sort of vapor, enabling us to see, but not to be seen. This vapor is moved about dear old

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SOME DAY Say, Freddy, what's the big idea F asked a benighted Senior of our friend, Frederick Walker. VVhy do you go about all the classrooms, scooping the air with that crabnet, brushing the desks and floors, etc., and putting the things, seem- ingly nothing, into the pail ? Ah! my friend, said Freddy. not the least perplexed, Don't you know I am gathering atmosphere of by-gone days. A person has certain peculiarities about him that bespeak his future career and his success in life. NVell, three years ago you sat in that third seat, Douglas Fraser there, and I here. There cannot but be left certain impressions, 1 have found. in the air and on the wood. lf I take the air about these rooms which has become saturated with atmosphere of students of the class of '21, and condense it by a peculiar process known only to me. and then treat it with an oriental preparation, I have discovered a means of causing these peculiarities and life ambitions to form into careers within a few weeks. Do not mistake me. friendg it does not necessarily follow that a person must become an M. D. because this process says so. On the other hand, it means that if he follows his present ambitions to an end and nothing inter- venes, it will be as the scheme says. ' Gee-is that right? Come on, I'll give you a hand, and together they Set to work, the friend with the crabnet, scooping the atmosphere from the air and Freddy with the pail, shovel, and brush getting it from the desks and floors. The second Tuesday in March came around and the announcement was made that there was to be something special at the meeting of the Senior class. Room 100, the usual hangout, was darkened to such an extent that one could slice the Stygian darkness. Freddy VValker stood by the desk of Miss McCormick. Be- side him was a flask that seemed to glow a purplish, greenish, yellowish, reddish tinge, if there ever was a tinge of that combination. The dignified and sedate Seniors filed in amid much silence and took seats, many a smile breaking over their faces, as they watched the master of ceremonies and the solemn look on his face as he stood by his desk. I Friends, within a few seconds you are to see your future, said Freddy as he broke the flask on Miss McCormick's desk. QOh, if she only knew.j instantaneously there comes from the vicinity a steamy haae. It rises, then as if propelled by an unseen force, it flattens out. on the blackboard. There seems to be the rumble of chains, the clashing of gears and the gnashing of teeth, Part of the mist seems to break away from the center toward the edges, leaving only a thin film. T hen-ah+some familiar sights, the skyline of New York harbor, looking north. What! VVe suddenly see an immense skyscraper under construc- tion, a most stupendous undertaking. This building, said the chief engineer, will enable one to get into heaven without dying. The staring listeners agreed: it is indeed a marvelous building. The engineer turned slightly. It is gracious! - Cobby Neilsen. H-m-m-in! Again the mist throws another scene. upon the film. This time it is the arid regions of Arizona. We are brought to a large aqueduct, a wonder- ful achievement. reclaiming many acres for humanity. The builder stands by it.

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Amboy liigh, and we see the classrooms, the gym, the oliices, etc. Aha! The vapor shows the gymnasium. The class is being addressed by thc chief Physical Director of the State, He speaks in a quiet, frank and earnest voice, with a note of self-reliance. Who is it but Claude Solield. He had been physical director at Springfield and it was while there that he developed the best teams ever banded together. Next we peer from our hiding place at the auditorium and at the students assembled there. My, such small ones! A person is introduced as the head of the Health Commission. He bows profoundly, and then in the most fiuent lan- guage tells of his plans for conducting a clean-up week. After he speaks for about ten minutes he says, Dis here. and, well, you know who used to say that in our school days. e Another speaker is introduced as Dr. Murray Jacobson. The doctor, most famous of American lecturers, lectures on The Long Tale of a Short Dog and How to Get Away VVith lt. just like Murray, with his chin music and his Yankee drawl. Then the haze concealing us moves to other surroundings and we soon find ourselves in the classrooms we once knew so well. We see a class of commercial students absorbing shorthand and business arithmetic under the skillful teaching of Grace McMurtree, our old commercial friend. The haze, with us concealed, then moves along with the students as they pass to their classes, allowing us to hear the old comments of every-day school life. NVe see a room, Room ICO. The teacher turns full upon us. and, ye gods! It's Loretta Galvin. She gives a student a slip of paper, initials it and places the time upon it and bids him go. Vile follow this particular person, see him pause for a drink of water, and loiter about the building. Finally he goes to the library, gives the slip to-glorious-to Ida Ruderman, librarian of the high school. Oh! we sce it all plainly now. She always wanted a job in which she did not have to worry about homework. The movable vapor then shows us the medical examination I'0Ol11. A doctor is examining the boys. Ears and eyes normal. The voice is familiar. It be- longs to f'loe Smith, an M. D. How exciting! The haze then tells us that Smith gave particulars about the cause of sleeping sickness in the high school. just like Joeg he knows all about it from experience. The telephone rings. The doctor answers it. Doctor, I want to know what keeps me from work every Monday morning? lt is Elsie Fettman speaking. Joe grins, then says Love, and puts down the receiver. ln another quarter of the room we see the girls being examined by three nurses. clad in uniforms that shine with cleanliness. They all turn sharply in our direction. Heavens! E. Comings. M. Dregier and Y. Jensen. The mist then shows us anotherupart of the school, the room of the vice-prin- cipal, as well as that of the teacher of Senior English, none other than E. Smith. the best liked and most easy-to-get-along-with member of the faculty. VVe see next a class in Spanish being taught bv H. Galaida. She suffered so much when she took Spanish that to get even she is now making others suffer.